Logitech
Let’s tell you a short story, three years ago wireless hardware wasn’t as widespread as we can as a reviewer basically advise you, and the reason was logical, wireless hardware is weaker than wired connection in terms of response time and delay as well as battery issues and the like.
Slowly, wireless connectivity technologies have crept up to the point where they outperform even those that still maintain the wired experience, response times are getting shorter, range is getting wider, and even the battery is going on for days and days until it’s recharged.
In the current period, and maybe two years ago, we always advised the acquisition of wireless hardware, especially in mice, because it eliminates the resistance of the wire and gives freedom to players in movement without restrictions, to give an immersive gaming experience that surpasses its counterpart in the wired experience.
This was the story of wireless gear rising to the top! And today we have the latest entry in Logitech’s line of professional wireless mice, the G502 X Plus.
G502 X Plus mouse design
The Logitech G502 mouse is very popular among gamers, whether in its wired or wireless version, as it is one of the best-selling professional mice since 2020, and the latest version, G502 X Plus, which we will be reviewing for you today, comes after a testing period over the past period with many changes. Welcome, and also the loss of some important features and entry into another category in terms of pricing, let’s move on.
At first glance, the G502 X Plus is influenced by the same design as its peers, with the RGB lighting strip as a visually stunning addition, but of course it comes at the expense of battery performance as is usual in wireless hardware.
The mouse grip is comfortable for large and small hands alike, although as mentioned, the size of the mouse is large, and the side panels are textured with rubber on both sides to give a better feeling during use.
The mouse has 13 buttons on the mouse and all 13 of those buttons are programmable via the G Hub app, thanks to the new hybrid opto-mechanical switches.
Something worth noting here is the third side button that is directly in front of the thumb rest and is designed in such a way that those with shorter thumbs can still click on it without extending their thumb. What’s great about it is that it’s magnetic and can be flipped depending on which way you prefer or loosened outright If you like it.
By default, this button works as DPI Shift by default, but it can be customized for any other purpose through the application, but if you do not have any use for this button and you find it annoying, you can replace it with another non-clickable button, which, as you saw above, comes with the contents of the mouse tray.
The other interesting thing about the buttons is the button to switch the scroll wheel from gaming mode to browsing mode or free mode, with the push of a button – on the button embedded directly below the scroll wheel that looks like a Lock and not a regular button – you can switch the scroll wheel from normal mode to speed mode Super, which is useful for browsing long articles or those programmers who use long pages, the scroll wheel will “air” in this mode and you will find it awkward at first until you get used to it.
As for the top of the scroll wheel, you can notice an indicator that lights up in green and red, and it gives you an overview of the battery status – in the event that you are not using the application – and this indicator lights up in red to alert you if the mouse needs to be recharged. We will talk about the battery and its performance later in the review in detail.
As usual, you know that the lighter the mouse, the better, especially for those who like to play on low DPI such as 400 or 800, but to be honest, this is not the lightest mouse we have tried, or in a clearer sense, it is not light, and this is normal given its size.
This 106g weight, paired with low-friction PTFE feet, provides easy gliding on most surfaces and allows users to experience enjoyable gameplay with less arm effort.
This version loses the customizable weight feature, as Logitech got rid of it, and if you want an opinion, this feature is unnecessary now and most companies got rid of it, as it was popular in the period between 2016 and 2019.
Box contents and belongings
- Mouse – Surprisingly, isn’t it?
- Plug Dongle 2.4GHz USB Type-A.
- Type-C cable for wired charging and connectivity.
- Type-C to A adapter for use on devices without a USB A port.
- Additional “unclickable” button.
- Warranty and instructions booklet.
Sensor and mouse specifications
In this mouse, Logitech uses the HERO 25K sensor – no need to talk about it right? – as it reaches a speed of 25600 DPI, of course an exaggerated speed for normal use, especially in games, especially on the 1080 display resolution, as most professional players use a speed of 400 only in Mouse settings for better control.
It’s not that players really need 25,600 DPI to play competitively or that it’s an advantage they can take advantage of. It’s more like a speedometer in your car. It’s good to know your engine’s maximum potential and it doesn’t mean you need to drive that crazy.
The mouse comes with a 2.4GHz (USB Type-A) dongle and uses the popular Lightspeed wireless technology which uses a wireless protocol that is 68% faster in response rate than previous generations. Not only that, but the technology is also able to share the connection with another compatible device. With Lightspeed as a keyboard or headset using the same connection, this means two devices can be connected with the same dongle so you don’t have to sacrifice a second USB port on your computer.
At the bottom of the mouse there is a place to save the “dongle”, which is magnetic, to make it easier for you to disassemble and install it, and also to keep the dongle from being lost.
The switches that Logitech uses with the mouse are Lightforce switches, which are a hybrid mechanical and optical switches. The G502 X Plus is the first fully hybrid gaming mouse that combines optical speed or optical switch speed with mechanical feel in terms of the feel and sound of pressing.
However, we have no information about the life span of these new keys. Normally, professional mouse keys ranged from 50 to 100 million clicks.
The mouse also has an Onboard Memory so your mouse settings can be saved on the mouse itself and used on any device without resetting.
Finally, before moving on to the performance part, this mouse has a Polling Rate estimated at 1000Hz (which is normal for all professional gaming mice) and therefore there are no input errors even on screens that use a high refresh rate.
Mouse performance in games
During the last period, we used the mouse mainly as the primary mouse, whether in games or browsing in general, and as a person who is used to lighter weight mice, it did not bother us to use this mouse, which weighs 106 grams. However, we found it difficult at the beginning to adapt to the side buttons due to the large size of our hands. Which made us remove the DPI Shift button and replace it with the non-clickable one.
Regarding the experience in games, we did not notice any kind of delay, and there is no need to emphasize that. The HERO 25K sensor and Lightspeed technology are credited for that.
Of course, this sensor is too fast for most people as you pointed out, but that means it’s just as great for professionals as it is for non-professional gamers so whatever type of game you’re playing, whether it’s a fast-paced action game like Call Of Duty or a slower pace game like A Plague Tale, you’ll be completely satisfied with its use. The mouse, especially since it is stable and does not slip even with rapid movement, thanks to the low-friction PTFE feet. “You will feel soft during use. It is something that we cannot explain in words.”
The mouse is really comfortable to use for several hours without feeling pain or fatigue in your hand.
The golden advice that you should know and most likely no one will tell you, and it is general with all wireless mice that use a 2.4 GHz connection – and whatever its range is – it is better to use the extension that comes with the mouse case and then put the dongle to connect to it and make that piece As close as you can get to the mouse itself, under the desk under the mouse is the best place to get the best possible signal and thus avoid any stuttering issues.
The battery
Speaking of the battery, the battery at the heart of this mouse is rechargeable and lasts up to 33 hours of use before needing to be recharged again.
This number was achieved by the mouse with RGB lighting, and of course, if you want it to last longer, you can turn off the lighting (Logitech claims that it can last up to 120 hours without lighting), but to be honest, we did not try the mouse without lighting because it gave a fancy look to the setup, so we don’t we recommend turning off the lighting, however, the figure of 33 hours is good for an average use of 5 hours per day, which means that you will need to charge the mouse every week if your use is heavy, which is a very good number.
As for charging, it is welcome that the mouse has moved to charging via the USB-C port instead of micro-USB on previous versions.
But we have a note that the battery drains even if the device is turned off, although the mouse has Sleep Mode by default to preserve battery life when not in use. Use Make sure to close the mouse daily from the button below.
G Hub app
The G Hub application, as usual, comes to complement the advantages of the mouse. You can still use the mouse without it, but with it you will get many other features. Through the application, you can control and customize controls and buttons, assign macro buttons and even switch lighting.
You can also select the appropriate DPI for you, as the preset comes with an estimated DPI of 800 per inch for the lowest setting, and through the application, you can set the values that adapt to it.
Most important of all, of course, is knowing the exact battery level and its expected life.
The price of the G502 X Plus
The G502 X PLUS gaming mouse is priced at $ 159.99, and this is more expensive than its previous peers at $ 20 for the wireless version, and about $ 100 for the old wireless version that is in Logitech and Amazon offers and is sold at $ 34.99.
Evaluation and final judgment
We liked the G502 X Plus the way we can recommend it as your next wireless gaming mouse, if you have already tried the G502 before and the weight issue bothers you then this is a timely upgrade as the weight of the G502 was one of the biggest issues and with gamers moving towards lighter mice for what it offers from freedom of movement and better control, this mouse we can recommend to you in the first place.
Yes, it’s not quite as nimble as the Logitech G Pro or Razer Viper V2 Pro or lighter weight mice (which we prefer) but given its size and for people who like big mice with big hands, it’s a snug fit and the battery is good for a week’s use with the lights on the RGB before needing to be charged again.
In addition to the many buttons – 13 buttons – all of which can be reprogrammed for different uses.
As for the defects, the mouse is missing the “premium” element or the features that make it really worth the $160, as it does not charge wirelessly, for example, and the polling rate stops at 1000 Hz – although it is difficult to feel any difference for a rate higher than that – but there Some models on the market have introduced this making it more compatible for the future.
We also did not like that Logitech did not include Bluetooth as an additional technology that could be used with the mouse, and therefore it was easy to use on devices that do not support USB-A or C, and it is good to see more than one way to connect, and this did not happen here, especially since we see that the price of the mouse is a little high and it was It could be less and for us this is the most prominent defect in the mouse.
Hawke Centre evaluation
- Performance: 9
- Design: 8
- Manufacturing quality: 8.5
- Price: 7
Advantages
- Incredible gaming performance thanks to Lightspeed wireless technology and HERO 25K sensor.
- The ability to connect a mouse, keyboard or headset to the same dongle.
- The design of the mouse is attractive and the materials are of high quality.
- Hybrid switches between optical and mechanical.
- Low-friction PTFE feet provide easy glide on most surfaces.
- 13 customizable and programmable buttons.
- Great support by the G Hub app.
- A battery that can last for 33 hours of use with the lights on.
- The weight of the mouse is acceptable for its size.
Disadvantages
- Absence of Bluetooth as a secondary connection method.
- The battery is depleted when idle.
- Relatively expensive.
